GINA HIRAIZUMI — A BOOK OF MAGAZINE

Japanese- American actress GINA HIRAIZUMI plays “The Quiz,” in DC’s DOOM PATROL. Her character is a metahuman who is also a member of The Sisterhood of Dada. Her storyline spans from the early 1900s to the modern day. The Quiz, a.k.a. Sachiko possesses any power that has not yet been thought of and that makes her one extremely powerful character in the show.

Hiraizumi is fluently bilingual and is a new mom and is excited to share and show her international lifestyle to her child.

Gina is also a passionate advocate on sharing stories and awareness on the subject of Infertility and IVF. She is open to sharing her intimate story about her journey with the subject that way too many women suffer in silence about.

In this exclusive interview, Hiraizumi shared the story of her acting journey, the challenges she faced while she is pregnant during filming, filming during the pandemic, her inspirations, dream project and more.

Photographer: IRVIN RIVERA, Fashion Stylist: AMBIKA SANJANA, Make-up & Hair: MIREYA FRAUSTO Production Asst: WOLFIE TRAUSCH
Dress: ADIBA, Jewelry: 8 Other Reasons, Shoes: KAT MACONIE

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m one of those rare actors, born and raised in LA. Although I’ve been in this business for over 23 years, I was not one of those child actors, where they grew up doing theatre, drama club, all that - far from it! I grew up in a very structured household with very high, strict Japanese standards academically. I was a classically trained pianist & singer as a kid, and perhaps that helped me transition into acting & the arts, which happened in my teens.

Our family owned a travel company, so we went to Japan 3-4x yearly every year. I guess you can say, I lived there for tangents of time, so of course I’m fluently bilingual. I’m a new mom of a 4 month old, and I’m excited to show her the international lifestyle I grew up living too. My mom’s from Tokyo, so she’s always been very much a city woman on-the-go, too. You can definitely say, it’s in our blood.

Tell us more about your character “The Quiz” a.k.a. Sachiko on Doom Patrol. What drew you to this role?

I play “The Quiz” (aka Sachiko) on Doom Patrol. She is described as a passionate, fearless enigma that speaks only Japanese on the show. Her superpower is: 'every power you haven’t thought of.’ She is an extreme germophobe, who has a mask on her face most of the time. So coincidental that in real life, we were going through a real pandemic with Covid, so the cast and crew had to wear masks on set. I loved this character because it was uniquely me.

The DC Universe was something I haven’t yet tapped into, and I’ve always known the whole superhero genre had a huge following.

Dress: ADIBA, Jewelry: 8 Other Reasons, Shoes: KAT MACONIE

How would you describe the show?

Doom Patrol is one of the most unconventional, out of the box thinking, no-limit having, quoted by a publication before as: “one of the weirdest shows on HBO Max.” Anything that challenges

the mind, our imagination, our wildest dreams….I’m all for it!

From time travel from present day, to skipping decades…we got to “play” so much….all in one episode sometimes! It’s So much fun.

What’s the most challenging part of doing this role?

The most challenging part about filming was, working while pregnant. Away from home/LA, in Atlanta. During Covid. Living out of a hotel. I was in my first trimester, so physically I wasn’t showing so it didn’t affect wardrobe sizing or anything. But, as any mother knows, you’re dealing with a lot of body changes in the First Trimester internally with nausea & fatigue. Using every ounce of energy to push through that, even when we had 16 hour work days felt impossible some days, but I’m proud to say, I did it!

How did you rise above these challenges?

I’m a big fan of mindset. How I rose above those challenges were to go: “Mamba Mentality” from Kobe Bryant and David Goggins. I took time to meditate as often as I could, and as those above mentioned men preach: “When you feel you can’t go anymore, you’re only at 40% of your potential.”

When I kept repeating that to myself over and over, the feelings followed.

Miraculously sometimes, I felt a burst of energy, a ’second wind’ come over me, and I was ready to get back out there, after a period of resting time in my trailer. Dont get me wrong - I am not trying to downplay or dismiss the First Trimester pregnancy symptoms. It’s definitely real, and it’s extremely debilitating physically and hormonally. But one of my strengths is to be able to separate emotions from business, and I knew I was there to do a job. Therefore, I was going to see to it that, I do it at the highest level and give them the best of me.

No excuses.

What’s the proudest moment of your career so far?

I can honestly say that, without my husband (who is not an actor) I would not be where I am today. I started to work and book jobs very consistently when we started working as a team on my career. I’ve always said- success starts at home. He pushes me, believes in me, and the results show with all my professional credits that’s manifested in those years. It’s crazy to say, but in an industry that’s known to be the "hardest in the world” and actors that are unemployed most of the time, there’s not a month that’s gone by where I wasn’t on set working.

In all parts of the world, including Bermuda Virgin Islands, Hawaii, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, etc. I don’t say that to brag, I say that to hopefully inspire, that through hard work, being humble and gathering a supportive foundation at home, success may be just around the corner. That’s probably my proudest moments.

Top: MEGAN RENEE, Skirt: D’OFFAY, Jewelry: 8 OTHER REASONS, Shoes: GUCCI

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by my parents, who have always said - no matter what we chose to do in life, that happiness was the most important. If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life. I plan on instilling that in my daughter too.

What scares you?

I’m scared of what’s in store for the future of our children.

I absolutely hate that in my infant daughter’s eyes, seeing people wearing masks is normalized. I’m just hoping by the time she starts going to pre-school, Covid will long be over.

Guilty pleasure?

Binge watching Mommy Vlogs from Youtube content creators on repeat- and secretly feeling validated for all that moms have to go through, because mothering is hard!

Name your top 5 favorite films of all time

Waiting to Exhale, Parasite (Korean film), Nights in Rodanthe,

Godfather 1,2,3 and Notting Hill.

Last song that got stuck in your head

Cocomelon - kids songs on repeat 24/7 because of my infant daughter

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t use your career as an excuse to delay living your authentic life.

Get married, start a family if you want to. Your career will flourish as a result of having happiness in the home.” So true.

What’s your ultimate goal?

To be a series regular on a legal drama series- that’s for sure my sweet spot branding wise.

A kick-ass lawyer and corporate business woman.

What are your dream projects?

Dream Project is to be able to tell, storytell with all-female directors and producers.

I’d like to one day write & star in my own intimate story about my journey with infertility and IVF - a subject that way too many women suffer in silence about. It took a long time to conceive and birth my daughter, and I want other women to know they’re not alone if they find themselves in the same position.

Is there a skill / talent that a lot of people don’t know about you?

I’m a self-proclaimed decluttering & organizing master. I love Marie Kondo’s Netflix series about purging & throwing things out that don’t spark joy. I’m super passionate about aesthetics in the home and presentational display. I don’t know if it’s the Japanese in me, but I need things super sparkly clean, labeled and categorized.